Green Future: Google Invests $1 Billion in Clean Energy

By: Guest Contributor, Hailey Robinson

There’s a tech company that’s concerned with green – and no, not because it’s the color of money. The Internet juggernaut Google has recently invested $1 billion in green, clean, reusable energy. It’s an investment that could change the way consumers and users access Google services, depending on how the company plans to utilize these new assets.

Read on to learn more about Google’s latest venture in renewable energy, why it did it, and what exactly it’s doing with this environmental technology. Hint: the answer might blow you away.

Google’s Clean Energy

If you haven’t guessed it by now, Google invested specifically in clean wind power — $275 million in Texas resources alone. In addition, Google heated things up by including solar energy resources in the mix. So, why did it do it? According to CNBC, “Google spent $2.25 billion on data center and infrastructure spending, a huge area of costs for the company. That’s one of the reasons the company is aggressively moving to solar, wind and other alternative energies to power its data centers and banks of servers scattered around the world.”

But its intentions aren’t solely rooted in saving money. However, it’s a huge bonus. Along with improving the environment, Google is slated to see a high level of energy efficiency that should offset some of its costs.

The Benefits of Alternative Resources

Environmental implications top the list of benefits for alternative resources; next is saving money; and then, finally, it serves as a sort of emergency backup. Emergency energy in times of extreme weather is exactly what tech companies need to stay operational and outlast the competition. With continuing dependence on “the cloud,” tech companies feel continuing pressure to back up their backups. The best tablets today use Google’s web applications. If these services fail, so does Google and the companies piggybacking on its success.

Blowing Away the Competition

Google won’t be the first or last company to make investments in green technology; however, its sheer number of financial resources ensures they’ll be at the top of the list for future clean innovations. And as long as they continue to take advantage of this technology, it’ll benefit financially. It’s a cyclical trend that increases its growth overtime.

It’s a trend that invites more consumers as well. It’s hip to be green, and Google isn’t colorblind. On its website, it notes: “We’re greening our company by using resources efficiently and supporting renewable power. That means when you use Google products, you’re being better to the environment.” Consumers are buying into the green investment just as much as Google.

A Job Growth Investment

While renewable energy in general hasn’t created the kind of job growth analysts had hoped, it’s possible that Google’s specific investments will create new jobs within the company. It adds an entirely new sector within the company that calls for qualified individuals to run and support the clean power.

While the numbers aren’t yet in on how many jobs it’ll create, it’s obviously opening up opportunities that weren’t within the company before. Any company, tech or otherwise, that expands its verticals is investing in job growth – whether directly or indirectly.

The Corporate Future of “Going Green”

With more and more tech companies being responsible for the state of our environment (re: e-waste and the carbon emissions from manufacturing plants), it’s high-time that more of these corporations took responsible measures to offset their output.

Google has set an unfortunate bar for smaller tech companies who may not be able to afford the somewhat expensive clean energy it uses. Likewise, consumers will increasingly expect that larger corporations with the resources to afford these technologies will adopt them.

Whatever you think about global warming and the environmental impact of carbon emissions doesn’t exactly apply. There are other uses for alternative energy, and Google is proving it one windmill and solar panel at a time.

What do you think of Google’s recent investment? How do you think tech companies could do more to improve our environment? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Hailey Robinson is a recent graduate with a degree in Journalism. Now that she isn’t face first in books she is trying to travel as much as she can. She writes in her free time between fixing up her new house and teaching people how to live a longer, healthier life.